--- title: "core vs agency" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/cheshire-cat-ai-core-vs-operand-agency" tools: ["cheshire-cat-ai-core", "operand-agency"] --- # core vs agency *GraphCanon updated Aug 21, 2026* ## Verdict Pick core if core is a Python-based AI microservice tool for building chatbots and integrating vector search. It supports conversational interfaces through the ag-ui-protocol; pick agency if agency is a fast and minimal Python-based framework for developing agentic systems that excels in its streamlined approach to creating autonomous agents. [core](https://cheshirecat.ai) reports 3.1k GitHub stars, 409 forks, and 8 open issues, last pushed Jul 29, 2026. [agency](https://createwith.agency) has 489 stars, 28 forks, and 19 open issues, last pushed Jun 10, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [core's repository](https://github.com/cheshire-cat-ai/core) and [agency's repository](https://github.com/operand/agency). | | [core](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core.md) | [agency](/tools/operand-agency.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | AI agent microservice | A fast and minimal framework for building agentic systems | | Stars | 3,081 | 489 | | Forks | 409 | 28 | | Open issues | 8 | 19 | | Language | Python | Python | | Adopt for | core is a Python-based AI microservice tool for building chatbots and integrating vector search. It supports conversational interfaces through the ag-ui-protocol. | Agency is a fast and minimal Python-based framework for developing agentic systems that excels in its streamlined approach to creating autonomous agents. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | GPL-3.0 licenses the code base of the core repository. | MIT | | Categories | AI Agents, Vector Databases | AI Agents | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [core](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core.md) | [agency](/tools/operand-agency.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Active (82%) | Steady (60%) | | Days since push | 16d | 71d | | Open issues (now) | 8 | 19 | | Stars delta | +7 (30d) | +2 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +1 (30d) | 0 (30d) | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/operand-agency/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: core - **Hosting:** self hosted - core can be self-hosted. - **Requirements:** Requires Python support due to being Python-based. - **Adopt for:** core is a Python-based AI microservice tool for building chatbots and integrating vector search. It supports conversational interfaces through the ag-ui-protocol. - **License detail:** GPL-3.0 licenses the code base of the core repository. ## Decision facts: agency - **Adopt for:** Agency is a fast and minimal Python-based framework for developing agentic systems that excels in its streamlined approach to creating autonomous agents. ## Choose when ### Choose core if… - License: core is GPL-3.0, agency is MIT. - core can be self-hosted. - Requirements: Requires Python support due to being Python-based.. - Tags unique to core: ag-ui-protocol, agent, ai, assistant. - Also covers Vector Databases. - For projects that require an open-source solution under GPL-3.0, because core's licensing aligns with this requirement ### Choose agency if… - License: agency is MIT, core is GPL-3.0. - Tags unique to agency: actor-model, agent-framework, autonomous-agents. - When you prefer a lightweight solution for building autonomous agent systems without the need for extensive configuration or complex dependencies. ## When NOT to use core - If your project needs proprietary license terms, since core restricts use by GPL-3.0 which might not fit all commercial scenarios - In cases where you require a non-Python environment, as the tool may require significant custom code to adapt to another language ## When NOT to use agency - If your development requires deeply integrated functionalities that would necessitate a heavier, more feature-rich framework. - In scenarios where you need robust tooling for large-scale deployment and management as Agency does not offer extensive LLMOps (LLM Operations) capabilities beyond its minimalistic design. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between core and agency? core: AI agent microservice. agency: A fast and minimal framework for building agentic systems. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose core over agency? Choose core over agency when License: core is GPL-3.0, agency is MIT; core can be self-hosted; Requirements: Requires Python support due to being Python-based.; Tags unique to core: ag-ui-protocol, agent, ai, assistant; Also covers Vector Databases; For projects that require an open-source solution under GPL-3.0, because core's licensing aligns with this requirement. ### When should I choose agency over core? Choose agency over core when License: agency is MIT, core is GPL-3.0; Tags unique to agency: actor-model, agent-framework, autonomous-agents; When you prefer a lightweight solution for building autonomous agent systems without the need for extensive configuration or complex dependencies. ### When should I avoid core? If your project needs proprietary license terms, since core restricts use by GPL-3.0 which might not fit all commercial scenarios In cases where you require a non-Python environment, as the tool may require significant custom code to adapt to another language ### When should I avoid agency? If your development requires deeply integrated functionalities that would necessitate a heavier, more feature-rich framework. In scenarios where you need robust tooling for large-scale deployment and management as Agency does not offer extensive LLMOps (LLM Operations) capabilities beyond its minimalistic design. ### Is core or agency more popular on GitHub? core has more GitHub stars (3,081 vs 489). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are core and agency open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (core: GPL-3.0, agency: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to core or agency? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [core alternatives](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core/alternatives) and [agency alternatives](/tools/operand-agency/alternatives) ([core markdown twin](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core/alternatives.md), [agency markdown twin](/tools/operand-agency/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/cheshire-cat-ai-core-vs-operand-agency.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, core or agency? core: Active. agency: Steady. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for core and agency? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [core trust report](/tools/cheshire-cat-ai-core/trust); [agency trust report](/tools/operand-agency/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cheshire-cat-ai-core`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=cheshire-cat-ai-core) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_